People

People are the heartbeat of our organization. We believe that every individual has the potential and ability to transform themselves, their community, and the world.

Every person we work with - staff, board, volunteers, delegates, partners, and donors - has something to learn and something to teach. We invite you to join us!

Meet Our Staff

Nada Managing Director

A Palestinian-American, Nada joined the staff in 2017. She spent her early years in the Middle East before moving to the Washington, DC suburbs. Nada earned a B.A. in Political Science at Virginia Tech and has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 13 years, most recently at UNRWA USA. Her expertise includes the creation and implementation of programming that supports community vitality, project and grants management, and strategic planning. Nada currently serves on the board for the DC Palestinian Film & Arts Festival.

JakeCommunications Director

Jake joined the organization in 2007 after first traveling to the region with an IFPB delegation in 2003. He has also worked with Partners for Peace, the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and the Resource Center for Nonviolence in Santa Cruz, California. In Palestine, he has worked with the Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem in Bethlehem and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in the Gaza Strip. His work experience has focused on grassroots organizing, media advocacy, fundraising, and communications.

EmilyProgram Director

Emily joined the organization in 2010. She holds an MA in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from the School of International Service at American University and a BA in International Relations from the University of Delaware. Emily is a trained facilitator and has worked with Partners for Peace, AMIDEAST, and the US Institute of Peace. Her research and work has focused on the intersection of justice, peace-building, and social change through education.

NadyaEducation & Advocacy Coordinator

Nadya is a passionate community organizer with a focus on refugee rights, transitional justice, youth education, and inter-community empowerment. She is a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement –USA and was previously on staff of Friends of Sabeel North America. Nadya holds an MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies from the University of Oxford and a BA in Anthropology and Global Information and Social Enterprise Studies from UC Santa Cruz. She speaks English, Spanish, and Arabic.

Meet Our Board

We are only as strong collectively as we are individually. At Eyewitness Palestine, we seek to strengthen each other as individuals, knowing that doing so strengthens us as a collective. Each member of Eyewitness Palestine's Board of Directors is a leader, a representative, and a partner in our work.

Susan Fund Development Committee

A strong believer in the power of change through experience and especially through travel to affected communities, Susan first traveled with Eyewitness Palestine in 2013. In 2017 she bicycled the length of the West Bank deepening her understanding of the joys and challenges of everyday life under occupation. A founding member of the New Haven chapter of Jewish Voice For Peace, she has served on the board of the New Haven León Sister City Project.

SunjeevFund Development Committee

Sunjeev is a human rights advocate and has served in director-level roles with the ACLU and Amnesty International USA, where he was Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa from 2011 to 2017. He has testified before the U.S. Congress on human rights, offered frequent commentary in major news media, and has participated in research missions and convenings in Palestine and other countries across the region. Sunjeev is a graduate of UC Berkeley and the Harvard Kennedy School.

MalakCommunications Committee

Malak’s passion is helping people find a connection between their faith and life. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of South Florida where she served on the board of many community organizations centered around human kindness, religious education, and political justice. Malak enjoys being in nature, traveling the world, and spending time with family. Currently a teacher, she intends to obtain a graduate degree in counseling and open an orphanage.

ManalProgram Committee

A Palestinian American, Manal’s family immigrated to the US from Palestine when she was a child. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Southern California and her MBA from Webster University. Manal is the founder of Fakhoury Leadership International and the Co-Director of the Citizen Diplomacy Initiative. She serves on a dozen boards and is active in her community of Ocala, Florida. She joined Eyewitness Palestine delegations in 2011 and 2012.